THE SKINNY: Welcome to the world of "The X-Factor." From the start of Wednesday night's premiere, the "X" would take the foundations of "American Idol" — high drama, big lights and heartfelt stories — and build for the sky. This was an emotionally draining show, with stories of poor families, down-on-their-luck talents and even a meth-addict fresh out of rehab. If you feet that "Idol" has gotten stale in recent seasons (and it has, with its predictable guy-with-a-guitar winners), then "X-Factor" felt like a welcome reminder of just how great it feels to root for someone — someone perhaps trapped in a mundane life, just in need of the right break. It's the cliche American dream story, and you'd have to be pretty cold to roll your eyes at the way "The X-Factor" presents it. I'm feeling great after the first episode, so read my running diary to see how I got here:

Television just isn't the same without Simon Cowell. Whether you love or loathe him, there's little denying his impact on reality TV competitions and pop-culture in general. Cowell returns to the tube Wednesday night, when his beloved project (and...

I finally got around to watching the promo for Fox's upcoming reality competition "The X Factor" that aired during Tuesday's All-Star game—because I don't really care—and I'm a little surprised: Simon Cowell is practically upstaged by the show...

Melanie Amaro got the prestige position of closing “The X Factor” Wednesday.
“You save the best for last,” Simon Cowell said.
Then the 19-year-old from Sunrise went out and proved herself worthy of the high praise with a stirring...

Melanie Amaro had another strong night on “The X Factor” Wednesday. It wasn’t her best showing of the competition but it was still very good and drew warm accolades from the judges. Unless her fans fail to hit the phones, Twitter and...

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The season's most hyped show, "The X Factor," asks the $5 million question: Who has the X Factor, and what, exactly, is it?
Simon Cowell, executive producer of the singing contest, a U.K phenomenon, returns as a judge with former "American Idol" colleague Paula Abdul, record executive L.A. Reid and performer Nicole Scherzinger. The show is Fox's prime time for Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 21 and 22, and continues on both nights until its Dec. 22 finale.
Given that it is a Fox talent show for singers,...

Don Cornelius, who died Wednesday at 75, was a civil rights pioneer disguised as a dance-music-show host. He used to sign off the “Soul Train” show he founded in Chicago by wishing his viewers “love, peace and soul,” and devoted every programming minute to proving he meant it.
The baritone-voiced host slipped into many roles on “Soul Train” and made it look easy, as if he were trying on just another tailored double-breasted suit. He was a music tastemaker, fashion...

Just like she did on her previous two solo albums, Kelly Rowland — best known as one third of the superstar trio Destiny’s Child — enlisted some help from the hip-hop world on her newest album, “Here I Am.” The album features Lil Wayne, Nelly and Big Sean (past albums featured Snoop Dogg, Eve and Joe Budden).
What does she feel the hip-hop cameos add to her music?
“For me, it adds more style and swag,” said Rowland, who will open for Chris Brown Friday at the...

THE SKINNY: Have we been had? "The X-Factor" followed up a seriously stellar debut with a two-hour mess of talentless singers and worse. The supporters of the first episode should be worried. Was Thursday night the real "X-Factor" or just a momentary bump in the road? A weak second episode paired with disappointing opening ratings is a situation Simon Cowell must not have anticipated. And yet, here we are.
8:06 — Our first contestant of "X-Factor's" second episode is a 29-year-old unemployed...

Melanie Amano, an 18-year-old from Sunrise, saved the day for South Florida on "The X Factor" Thursday.
Until Amano blew away the judges with her rendition of "Listen" the second night of Simon Cowell's new series was almost a total washout.
As one delusional hopeful after another took the stage at auditions taped this past spring at the University of Miami, a distraught Simon was muttering things like, "Miami is my mistake," "This is the worst auditions ever" and "I'm beginning to wonder why we came...

One of the stars of Wednesday's episode of "The X Factor" on Fox television was a group called 4Shore from Virginia Beach, Va. The a cappella quartet sang the Boyz II Men hit "End of the Road" and blew the judges away.
Judge L.A. Reid, who wrote the song with Babyface, said "It was just incredible." Paula Abdul said their harmonies were "spot on." Simon Cowell said he'd been looking for a group that Americans would rally behind. "I think that they would be proud of you representing them all over the...